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Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

I've seen a little bit posted about Andreas Eastman Saxophones (made in Taiwan, not the China made Eastman). Actually, kind of surprised I didn't see more. I particularly like the 52nd street alto. It's unlaquered and has a great, vibrant sound similar to a vintage sax. It appears to be very well made. I love the sound with my Meyer mouthpiece. Just using Rico Select Jazz for now since I can get them at the local music store. They seem to have less edge to them than the Vandorens I've used (ZZ, reds, greens...) These horns are really gaining in popularity and the prices seem to be going up on them, though it's the dealers that determine the price since you can't buy them directly from the company (not that I'm aware of anyhow.) At any rate, I got mine for $1,500 because the local dealer is selling off his instruments to focus solely on instrument repair. I compared this sax to a higher end Yamaha and the 52nd Street had a more vibrant tone. I was considering a Cannonball Big Bell Stone Series, but couldn't resist this Sax for the price. The 52nd Street also has a big bell which produces a bigger sound, yet it still fits in my gig bag. Really can't say enough about this horn. There are some pros who use it and endorse it and a good review that I saw on Youtube. The guy at Sax Alley really likes these horns (sorry, don't know his name, really nice guy though.) He suggested I try the Phil-Tone Solstice. He feels it works particularly well with this horn. I'm not endorsing any products, just simply sharing my experience with this horn. I'm a doubler (also play oboe/English Horn, Clarinet) so to go out and pay 4 grand or more for a horn is a bit much for me. I feel lucky to have gotten this sax for what I paid for it. The low and high notes come out extremely easily and I love the sound. Of course having the right mouthpiece can make a big difference as far as that's concerned. The stock mouthpiece it comes with isn't bad, but the low notes are a little more resistant than with my Meyer and of course doesn't produce as nice of a sound since it's made of cheaper material, but works well in a pinch, like recently due to issues with my Meyer (warping, I think.) Anyhow, here's a video link of a review I found on youtube.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

Originally Posted by Sheryl

I've seen a little bit posted about Andreas Eastman Saxophones (made in Taiwan, not the China made Eastman). Actually, kind of surprised I didn't see more. I particularly like the 52nd street alto. It's unlaquered and has a great, vibrant sound similar to a vintage sax. ]

I'm surprised there isn't more in here about Eastman saxes. My friend has the 52nd Street tenor, and I've played it a few times. I thought it sounded great, somewhat like my Conn tenor, but quite a bit easier to play. Great intonation, unlacquered, rolled tone holes. They're nice.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

Originally Posted by Sheryl

I've seen a little bit posted about Andreas Eastman Saxophones (made in Taiwan, not the China made Eastman). Actually, kind of surprised I didn't see more. I particularly like the 52nd street alto. It's unlaquered and has a great, vibrant sound similar to a vintage sax. It appears to be very well made. I love the sound with my Meyer mouthpiece. Just using Rico Select Jazz for now since I can get them at the local music store. They seem to have less edge to them than the Vandorens I've used (ZZ, reds, greens...) These horns are really gaining in popularity and the prices seem to be going up on them, though it's the dealers that determine the price since you can't buy them directly from the company (not that I'm aware of anyhow.) At any rate, I got mine for $1,500 because the local dealer is selling off his instruments to focus solely on instrument repair. I compared this sax to a higher end Yamaha and the 52nd Street had a more vibrant tone. I was considering a Cannonball Big Bell Stone Series, but couldn't resist this Sax for the price. The 52nd Street also has a big bell which produces a bigger sound, yet it still fits in my gig bag. Really can't say enough about this horn. There are some pros who use it and endorse it and a good review that I saw on Youtube. The guy at Sax Alley really likes these horns (sorry, don't know his name, really nice guy though.) He suggested I try the Phil-Tone Solstice. He feels it works particularly well with this horn. I'm not endorsing any products, just simply sharing my experience with this horn. I'm a doubler (also play oboe/English Horn, Clarinet) so to go out and pay 4 grand or more for a horn is a bit much for me. I feel lucky to have gotten this sax for what I paid for it. The low and high notes come out extremely easily and I love the sound. Of course having the right mouthpiece can make a big difference as far as that's concerned. The stock mouthpiece it comes with isn't bad, but the low notes are a little more resistant than with my Meyer and of course doesn't produce as nice of a sound since it's made of cheaper material, but works well in a pinch, like recently due to issues with my Meyer (warping, I think.) Anyhow, here's a video link of a review I found on youtube.

I just read this and completely concur. I have owned a The Martin, Vikiing m58, and P Mauriat 67 RGL altos, and this is my favorite. I've even stopped trying out altos I see that in the past I'd have picked up to at least compare. I mostly play tenor -- not AS crazy about the 52 street tenors, though I really like the clips of others playing them. But this alto is so clear and full and in tune! My Vandoren v16 8 works great with it.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

I've heard conflicting reports on the Eastman. Their build quality seems to be hit or miss. My technician has seen quite a few of them (read: probably more than most people in the country) and he doesn't recommend them based solely on the shoddy build quality he's seen. It's not ALL the horns, but he says over half of them have serious issues going on, including the rolled tone holes, etc.

Definitely a buyer beware for the Eastman horns. I've heard when they're put together well they can be nice horns.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

Originally Posted by Saxaholic

I've heard conflicting reports on the Eastman. Their build quality seems to be hit or miss. My technician has seen quite a few of them (read: probably more than most people in the country) and he doesn't recommend them based solely on the shoddy build quality he's seen. It's not ALL the horns, but he says over half of them have serious issues going on, including the rolled tone holes, etc.

Definitely a buyer beware for the Eastman horns. I've heard when they're put together well they can be nice horns.

- Saxaholic

I guess I got lucky. I had spoken with two players who had switched from PM 67's to these and heard third hand from a good tech guy that this was the best new alto he'd heard. So I took a chance and got this one in basically new condition, but at a steal practically. And it has been one of the very few horns I've bought that has had NO issues. But I appreciate the cautionary advice.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

Originally Posted by Saxaholic

I've heard conflicting reports on the Eastman. Their build quality seems to be hit or miss. My technician has seen quite a few of them (read: probably more than most people in the country) and he doesn't recommend them based solely on the shoddy build quality he's seen. It's not ALL the horns, but he says over half of them have serious issues going on, including the rolled tone holes, etc.

Definitely a buyer beware for the Eastman horns. I've heard when they're put together well they can be nice horns.

- Saxaholic

I've heard just the opposite! My experience with Eastman tells me just the opposite.

I own an Eastman tenor and it came with no issues and appears to be built like a tank. My local music store here in town has carried Eastman instruments for years now. I own three Eastman guitars, as well. The build quality of their guitars is great, and very consistent across hundreds of instruments that have gone through the store (I've played a lot of them). I also have one of their trumpets and it's built well, too.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

So one Tech I spoke to attested that the 52nd street he borrowed for a gig once was easily better than any markvi's he's played. On the other had I've also spoken to another Tech with mixed feelings regarding build quality.
I tried 3 of them at stores and shows, and all three felt and sounded different. It really comes down to the individual horn.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

My tech tried one of these at a NAMM show a short time ago, he was pretty impressed with it, actually. And he knows his stuff regarding construction and tone.

On the other hand, he was not at all impressed with the few Vikings he has serviced. So he put the Eastman in a completely different league.

I have never seen nor tried one. They sound sorta interesting.

Your tech tried one at a trade show? You mean where they go over those horns with a fine toothed comb before displaying it in front of players?

How ironic. My tech has seen dozens of Eastman horns fresh out of the box and plenty of Vikings as well. There was no mistaking his opinion based on his status as a master tech with nearly 35 years of experience: the Vikings were built better and far more consistent.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

They had a Eastman 52nd tenor at Nick Rail Music when I was looking at horns. I acts the salesman about them. He said they were very good saxes. He acts if I wanted to try one, I told him sure, that I too had heard postive things about them. I took the sax off the wall stand, felt the ergo's, didn't like the way it felt, felt too much like a clunky/clanky Cannonball,lol that I used to have. I gave the horn back to him, without giving it a blow, told him that I'll just stick with my Yamahahahaha Z,lol.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

At Sax Alley we've setup dozens of them without incident, any issues we've found have been simple enough to correct before shipping to the customer. Tim's been impressed enough by their sound and intonation that he's using one as his personal alto (his Super 20 is collecting dust).

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

I do agree that the ergonomics were not as comfortable for me as some other horns, however, luckily I live near a great repairman who adjusted the height of some of the keys to make, for example, some of the rollers work more efficiently. This made a huge difference. I still think the g# key is a little close to the body of the sax, but it's not awful. Point is, everyone's different and what feels comfortable to one person doesn't necessarily feel comfortable to another. In my case, I was able to have some of the keys adjusted to make them ergonomically more comfortable (you can adjust the stack keys as well, there's a hex key included for that.) I don't notice any clunkiness issues at all, and the keys are very quiet, no clicking or clacking sounds. I'm not sure about protecting the unlacquered brass though. I wouldn't want to play it at an outdoor concert or parade if it was raining. Not sure how the bare brass holds up without lacquer to protect it. If anyone has tips for that other than wiping it off and keeping it dry, feel free to let me know. At any rate, I'm very happy with it so far considering what I paid for it. I will see how it holds up over the years to decide if it was a good investment or not. As I said, I'm a doubler, so I didn't want to pay a fortune for a sax if I didn't have to. This sax just happened to be at a local store and I got it for a great price. Well, at least if you look online to see what they are going for I would consider it a great price.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

Originally Posted by HeyJoe

They had a Eastman 52nd tenor at Nick Rail Music when I was looking at horns. I acts the salesman about them. He said they were very good saxes. He acts if I wanted to try one, I told him sure, that I too had heard postive things about them. I took the sax off the wall stand, felt the ergo's, didn't like the way it felt, felt too much like a clunky/clanky Cannonball,lol that I used to have. I gave the horn back to him, without giving it a blow, told him that I'll just stick with my Yamahahahaha Z,lol.

But that's an apples and bowling balls comparison. They're talking about how they think all of these horns out of the same factory in China feel and play different because of the variation of laser engraved names on them.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

Originally Posted by Sheryl

I do agree that the ergonomics were not as comfortable for me as some other horns, however, luckily I live near a great repairman who adjusted the height of some of the keys to make, for example, some of the rollers work more efficiently. This made a huge difference. I still think the g# key is a little close to the body of the sax, but it's not awful. Point is, everyone's different and what feels comfortable to one person doesn't necessarily feel comfortable to another. In my case, I was able to have some of the keys adjusted to make them ergonomically more comfortable (you can adjust the stack keys as well, there's a hex key included for that.) I don't notice any clunkiness issues at all, and the keys are very quiet, no clicking or clacking sounds. I'm not sure about protecting the unlacquered brass though. I wouldn't want to play it at an outdoor concert or parade if it was raining. Not sure how the bare brass holds up without lacquer to protect it. If anyone has tips for that other than wiping it off and keeping it dry, feel free to let me know. At any rate, I'm very happy with it so far considering what I paid for it. I will see how it holds up over the years to decide if it was a good investment or not. As I said, I'm a doubler, so I didn't want to pay a fortune for a sax if I didn't have to. This sax just happened to be at a local store and I got it for a great price. Well, at least if you look online to see what they are going for I would consider it a great price.

I do find the ergos slightly trickier on the eastman, than on the Viking or PM 67. But I am much happier with the sound of the 52nd St., and I am willing to adjust to ergos to get better sound. One year in and I have had no problems technically and by the way, the bare brass finish looks the way it did a year ago-- spotless -- and it is the only UL horn I've had that has not had SOME discoloration or spots appear by now. So, at least my experience has been positive. I tell anyone, though, who is looking, to try to play a Viking M58 alto and the PM 67. I like all three a LOT. And the Viking and the Eastman have excellent intonation to my ear. ....

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

I played one in a big band last night. Bari player had been raving about his new Eastman 52st tenor. I can honestly say it was the easiest playing tenor I ever played. Low register was never a problem, no stuffy notes, octaves were very true, sound a little darker than I am used to. Played it almost 3 hours and the last tune was as good as the first. I think it's the best tenor I ever played. I've played many horns in my life. Owned a King Super 20, two MKIV's, and currently own a Buffett S1, Selmer USA, and a nice Jupiter silver tenor. I can't believe this knock-off has outplayed them all! Hats off to the company.

Re: Andreas Eastman - 52nd Street

Originally Posted by Saxaholic

Your tech tried one at a trade show? You mean where they go over those horns with a fine toothed comb before displaying it in front of players?

How ironic. My tech has seen dozens of Eastman horns fresh out of the box and plenty of Vikings as well. There was no mistaking his opinion based on his status as a master tech with nearly 35 years of experience: the Vikings were built better and far more consistent.

- Saxaholic

Should be noted here for all to read that you are one of the Viking boosters on this site, so of course folks can take your posts as they wish. The slight aggressiveness of your reply here is quite indicative, as well as a tad inappropriate, actually....but pretty much in character.

Since my previous post... another Eastman came into his shop, an Alto matter of fact... and he was equally impressed with it.

The two horns which he has worked on (one of which I have seen and tried) being the brand of horns you attest to, on the other hand, have been consistent...in their questionable build and somewhat lackluster tonal qualities.

Originally Posted by Saxaholic

....where they go over those horns with a fine toothed comb before displaying it in front of players?

One can say the exact same thing about a product rep who 'sends' a horn out with the specific intent that it be 'reviewed' by someone, no ?
(How ironic, indeed....)

Eastman makes quite decent instruments of other kinds. Their electric guitars are pretty well respected by players; they actually make some really sweet hollowbodies.
If the quality control of their other instruments is any indication, perhaps they have successfully bridged over into brasswinds. Most replies and opinions here would indicate they have done so.

As you have noted yourself in the past, I am no big fan of contemporary boutique brands....but again, my tech is top notch and a hella player, so if he has come across two Eastmans separate situations and has appreciated both, that's a pretty good indication for me, so am passing it along.